Version 1
: Received: 27 May 2024 / Approved: 28 May 2024 / Online: 29 May 2024 (06:35:56 CEST)
How to cite:
Chukwurah, U.; Ekwealor, C.; Ekpunobi, N. Assessment of the Fungal Contaminants of Dried Fishes Sold in Open Markets in Awka, Nigeria. Preprints2024, 2024051880. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1880.v1
Chukwurah, U.; Ekwealor, C.; Ekpunobi, N. Assessment of the Fungal Contaminants of Dried Fishes Sold in Open Markets in Awka, Nigeria. Preprints 2024, 2024051880. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1880.v1
Chukwurah, U.; Ekwealor, C.; Ekpunobi, N. Assessment of the Fungal Contaminants of Dried Fishes Sold in Open Markets in Awka, Nigeria. Preprints2024, 2024051880. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1880.v1
APA Style
Chukwurah, U., Ekwealor, C., & Ekpunobi, N. (2024). Assessment of the Fungal Contaminants of Dried Fishes Sold in Open Markets in Awka, Nigeria. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1880.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Chukwurah, U., Chito Ekwealor and Nzube Ekpunobi. 2024 "Assessment of the Fungal Contaminants of Dried Fishes Sold in Open Markets in Awka, Nigeria" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1880.v1
Abstract
Fish is a very healthy food that is a great source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. For many people in developing nations, like Nigeria, smoked and dried fish serves as a significant source of protein and is an integral part of the traditional diet. However, smoked and dried fish are susceptible to fungal growth, especially when the storage conditions are not right, and it has been discovered that many products contain fungi that are easily visible on the surface. This study investigated the diversity and occurrence frequency of contaminated fungi species in dried fishes sold in local markets of Awka in Anambra state, Nigeria. Twenty-four fungal isolates with varying colony morphology were isolated from the various dried fish products. The contaminating species were further subjected to lactophenol cotton blue (LPCB) staining and Ten (10) Unique fungal morphology was detected. Carbohydrate utilization test was used to select unique isolates and further molecular identification showed successful PCR amplification of the isolates. The current study identified various fungal groups contaminating dried fish products sold in Awka Markets. The three dominant genera were the fungal genera' Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium. These results suggest that most dried fish being sold in the Markets are contaminated with multiple fungi, posing a critical health risk to individuals. Thus, there is a need for attention to be paid to the packaging and storage of dried fish to lessen the likelihood of air exposure, lower water activity, and prevent microbiological growth on the dried fish.
Keywords
Dried Fish; Molecular Identification; PCR; Aspergillus; Penicillium and Fusarium
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Biology and Biotechnology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
